Red Treasure Hunt
by Amyra Morgenlicht
Summary: This is not how she had envisioned her evening, skulking behind bookcases, spying on the nonexistent, doubting her sanity.


Red Treasure Hunt

Part One

**Freiburg, Germany**

She was dreaming, surely, for there could not be another explanation. No wait; she pinched herself in the arm. _Ouch_. There goes that theory.

She was hallucinating. That was worse. A dream would have been harmless but hallucinations usually meant an unstable mind, trauma, drunkenness or drugs. She was clear about her mental status. No recent distress that she could think of, with the last traumatising event laying back more than a decade. She has had plenty of time to get over it. Mind you, she stopped using the w- word, tended to peer underneath the bed before settling in to sleep every night, but otherwise she was fine.

She hasn't had a drink since last Saturday night and today was Friday, leaving enough time for the alcohol to leave the system. Thinking back to the morning she wondered if that lanky youth with mouse brown hair and creepy stare, who served her regularly at her favourite caffeine haven could have spiked her drink. If he had, the drug was taking rather long to affect her, as it was nine o'clock at night and the library about to close in another hour.

"Do keep up Hogwart", drawled a well known voice, interrupting her internal verbal diatribe. A metaphorical bucket full of ice cold water poured down her back. "I don't want to spend more of my valuable time in your miserable company than necessary."

Now she was hearing things too, in that oh so familiar timber that she recognized but hadn't been able to replicate in her mind for all those years. It sounded painfully real just like she remembered nearly bringing tears to her eyes. She breathed in deeply trying calm her thundering heart.

"Name's Hoggle", was the indignant reply. "What are yeh lookin' for?"

Peering at them through a gap of shelves laden with books she felt rather ridiculous, especially since it seemed she was spying on air. No one else saw the pair of fantastical figures walking down the rows carefully searching for something, the tall lithe form of the Goblin King stalking with predatory grace and the short set dwarf ambling behind him trying to keep up.

"A book, Hogston, bound in red leather titled 'Das Labyrinth' in gold letterings. Look out for it carefully for it must be here somewhere. The Wiseman's scrying pointed to this building precisely." The fae explained patiently the faintest hint of irritation lurking in his tone.

Time had not marked him. She realized that her memories did him no justice. The years had watered down the picture she had in her mind. It was like having watched a beloved movie in black and white over and over, and then suddenly be confronted with the colourful version in all its three dimensional glory. His was otherworldly handsome, the sharp nose that looked down on you so haughtily, the lips that could twist so cruelly or smirk mockingly.

She forced her eyes away from his lips as if slapped. _This is really not the time to be thinking that sort of thoughts you fool._ She berated herself for behaving like schoolgirl with her first adolescent crush. He probably didn't remember her. Why should he, an ancient being of time, powerful ruler of a vast Kingdom, recollect a puny little mortal girl that has spend a mere thirteen hours in his Labyrinth. Or twelve, she remembered he stole one hour. There must have been plenty of runners in the Labyrinth, having made a fool wish, over the centuries.

The thought was painful to her but sobering. Finally having come to her senses she decided to leave the library and head back to her hostel despite her heart tugging her in the other direction. Not paying any attention she rushed to get out of there before she could change her mind and smacked right into something warm and hard that send her sprawling. With a wince she rubbed her nose where it had bruised and noticed in dismay that the clasp of her bag had become undone leaving its content strewn on the floor. Minding her manners she muttered an apology and without looking up proceeded to pick up her belongings.

_Sarah_

Exhaled air or whispered breath, but she heard her name spoken as loud and clear as the ringing of church bells.

Her hands trembling she hung her bag around the shoulder and righted herself, the action giving her time to steady her emotions. "Goblin King", she said facing him, relieved at the firmness of her voice.

He looked stunned his eyes slightly wide, and Sarah thought, should he have been an ordinary mortal his mouth would have been hanging open as well. It gave Sarah courage to find that the unflappable being in front of her looked as thrown as she felt. She nearly laughed out loud but stopped herself in self-preservation. His face was carefully blank now.

"You remember." His tone was slow and measured.

"It's hard to forget," she quipped, "the best adventure I've ever had." Then it hit her, he remembered her name.

"I see." A flicker of surprise in his eyes and something else, "You've grown."

"It has been eleven years and unlike immortal Goblin Kings, we ordinary humans tend to show our age."

A slight twitch at the corner of his lips, "You are not scared, Sarah?" He stepped closer and she could smell his scent, masculine, sandalwood and abstract, deep green forests and moonlight. Combined with the way he spoke her name it made her slightly dizzy.

"Should I be?" it came out breathy. _Concentrate Sarah, it is inappropriate to melt._

"Perhaps," he was amused she could tell.

_**Die Bibliothek schliesst in fünf Minuten... Die Bibliothek schliesst in fünf Minuten. **_The announcement brought her out of her stupor.

"Library is closing. I should go now." _But I really don't want to,_ was left unsaid.

"So keen to get away, Sarah. I would..."

"Sarah?" disbelief etched the dwarf's face when he stumbled upon them.

"Oh Hoggle." The joy of seeing an old friend lit Sarah's face and her eyes sparkled in delight. Forgetting everything around her she flung herself at him for a tight hug, missing the narrowed eyes of the Goblin King.

"It's good to see yeh lass." Hoggle patted her back awkwardly. "But what are ye..."

She found herself hugging air. "What did you do that, for?" she bit out whirling around, the old anger seeping into her, a sense of deja vu. "It's..."

"Not fair?"


End file.
